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Minute to Win it TV Show : Bucket Head and other fun things to do with buckets and balls

This Autumn ITV2 launch a new game show Minute to Win It. The new eight-part series, in association with Cadbury Spots v Stripes campaign, sees two popular TV hosts captain groups of friends as they compete head-to-head in hilarious and bonkers 60-second challenges using everyday household objects. You can see the official video trailer here. But the trailer doesn't feature some of the more interesting games. So, I thought I'd cover one or two of them in the coming weeks.

Like most of these games Bucket Head requires minimal equipment, just a ping pong ball, a bucket and maybe the ability to be not too worried about loss of dignity. Simply strap the bucket to your head and attempt to bounce the ball off the floor and a wall so that it ends up in the bucket.

When I saw the name Bucket Head I though it might be the classic but bizarre party game that goes by the same name, covered by Strange Games way back in 2006:

Bucketheads is an hilarious yet asinine game for two (or possibly more) people.
Two players place an object on the floor preferably somewhere near the edge of the room. The object can be anything that is easily recognisable.
They then go to the centre of the room and each places a plastic bucket over their heads. The bucket should act as a partial blindfold enabling each player to see some but not much of the floor. It is also quite disorientating. The players then hold hands and spin around a set number of times. The point of this is for the players to further lose their orientation and a little of their balance but not to be totally dizzy. The race is then on to find the object first. As well as fun to play it is also fun to observe two of your friends staggering wildly around the room wearing buckets and crashing into each other.

Even more bucket related fun can be had by playing Bucket Ball. Bucket Ball has a similar feel to Hanet Ballin the sense that the player actually stands within the goal but it is much weirder, more fun and... uses buckets.
For two competing players. At the start of the game each player stands facing the other a few yards apart. Both have placed their feet into plastic buckets, one on each foot. For children playing the game a standard bucket is usually perfect – for adult players you may need to search a garden centre for larger specimens. Players hold in their hands an equal number of small balls. The aim of the game is to throw and get as many balls as possible into either of your opponent's buckets whilst avoiding too many in your own. Players are allowed to move about so the game soon develops into tense stand offs, daring bucket-footed attacks and desperately clumsy leg movements to avoid incoming balls landing in a bucket. Any player falling over loses and once all balls have been thrown all you need to do is add up the bucket-balls to determine the winner.

Postman Pat Postman Pat
He ran over his own cat
Blood and Guts went flying
Postman Pat was crying
He'd never seen a cat as flat as that

Mickey Mouse in his house
Pulling down his pants
Quick, run, slap his bum
What colour were they anyway
(the person landed upon states a colour
which is spelled out, e.g. R.E.D and then that person is 'it')

Ip dip dog sh**
you are not it

Cinderella dressed in yella
Went to a party to catch a fella
By mistake she kissed a steak
How many kisses did she make
(the person landed upon shouts out a number
-counting proceeds until number is reached and 'it' is found)

Ip /dip /dation /
My /op - er - at - ion /
How /many /trains /are /at /the /stat-ion /
(the person picked says a number which is counted out
and the next person picked is 'it')

If you have any weird games, pastimes or sports that you think might interest Strange Games then e-mail montegue_blister@hotmail.co.uk

Montegue Blister: is the inventor of Walking Trippy (the English Gentleman's Martial Art) He has the honour of being the
Obscure Sports Media Mogul of the WFJF (World Finger Jousting Federation). An internationally reknowned expert on violent
childhood games, embarassing party games, unusual sports and festivals and vintage port.